AusBonsai

I'm a bit of a sucker for a dig. I started my dig season a bit early this year - mostly because I had a rare child-free chance yesterday afternoon and an extra day this weekend to catch up on the work I should've been doing. I collected six hawthorn at a similar time last year and had five survive, so hopefully I get similar results and the early start doesn't result in dead trees.

I tried out a new dig site and was targeting prunus and hawthorn which supposedly have pink flowers. I only ended up with one hawthorn; there were more to choose from but they were fairly large, and generally pretty straight and taperless. I found a random elm (most likely English elm) which I grabbed despite the straightness. I also grabbed a few prunus - one with purple leaves (survey data lists P. cerasifera and P. domestica as being present in the area) and six that are most likely Prunus mahaleb based on survey data and the leaves.

The P. mahaleb (St. Lucie cherry) could be interesting for bonsai with its small flowers and fruit. It growing wild here is also a good sign.

Some are more interesting than others - hopefully the interesting ones survive.

The straight trunk ones you left, would still have been worth chopping down to short stumps, for collection in a few more years

Max wrote: ↑April 25th, 2021, 4:53 pm The straight trunk ones you left, would still have been worth chopping down to short stumps, for collection in a few more years

I may have done that with a couple...

I don’t really do digs like this so I live vicariously through those who do... look forward to the updates!

loving the 2021 updates Greg, I also tried a few smaller hawthorns this autumn on Adelaide Cup day just to see how they respond and at this very early stage I'd say it's a winner. They have all grown much more vigorously than my spring digs, will be interesting to see if they go dormant over winter. I'm hypothesizing/hoping that they won't and it'll give them an extra 4 months of growth to prepare for summer.

I dug 6 medium size hawthorn last year about 2 weeks prior to bud burst and it seems 4 have made it through their first summer. I went hard on the roots to see how our hawthorns respond, sadly the best one by a mile doesn't look like its made it. A real shame as it is/was a 5 trunk clump with good movement. It also surprised me as it issued aerial roots just above the sphagnum top dressing within 4 weeks. It was growing well but has shrivelled up 3 times in the last 2 months and hasn't issued new growth the 4th time around. A bit unusual that it made it through the hottest weather too. Maybe it got a disease.

SquatJar wrote: ↑April 26th, 2021, 10:37 am loving the 2021 updates Greg, I also tried a few smaller hawthorns this autumn on Adelaide Cup day just to see how they respond and at this very early stage I'd say it's a winner. They have all grown much more vigorously than my spring digs, will be interesting to see if they go dormant over winter. I'm hypothesizing/hoping that they won't and it'll give them an extra 4 months of growth to prepare for summer.

Yep I had similar results when I dug around this time last year - the hawthorns all put on growth fairly early, and didn't go dormant during winter. Most I had in my tiny greenhouse, but even the ones I left out in the elements did the same thing but a bit slower. I think autumn, around when the leaves start to fall, is a winner for hawthorns.

Here's the aerial roots, surprised me as hawthorn aren't known for growing roots very easily, see cuttings and airlayers.

Awesome finds.

I wonder where your new dig site might be?


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Bit of movement from the hawthorn and some of the cherries already.

I forgot to post these - a couple of weeks ago I grabbed a few almonds. These are all suckers from very old orchard trees so I wasn't able to grab a huge amount of fine roots but I'm hopeful of at least this one, which has already put out a bit of growth. Hopefully it makes it to spring.

It will be interesting to see what the almond suckers are. Almonds can be grafted onto almond roots or more often on peach root stock as the 2 are closely related.

A couple of your previous collections look like they may have potential.

shibui wrote: ↑June 5th, 2021, 6:34 pm It will be interesting to see what the almond suckers are. Almonds can be grafted onto almond roots or more often on peach root stock as the 2 are closely related.

And even on peach/almond hybrid stock

shibui wrote: ↑June 5th, 2021, 6:34 pm It will be interesting to see what the almond suckers are. Almonds can be grafted onto almond roots or more often on peach root stock as the 2 are closely related.

I've been trying to look into that a bit - there were still leaves on these trees that looked very almond-y to me, but I've read that some rootstock used for almond can be peach/almond hybrid so who knows what those leaves would look like. I haven't had any luck finding any history on the area either - it's been a... state-owned perfectly legal place to dig since the 50s, and before that was used for sheep grazing, but I can't see any reference to an almond orchard so hard to say when the trees were initially planted or where they spread from.

Last Friday my doc gave me the all clear to go back to work, so I assume that extends to digs (in time for the club dig this weekend ). Yesterday I grabbed a few hawthorns. Generally the ones I find are dead straight and taperless, but I managed to find a few with a bit of interest and some nice bark.

greg27 wrote: ↑June 15th, 2021, 8:23 am Last Friday my doc gave me the all clear to go back to work, so I assume that extends to digs (in time for the club dig this weekend ). Yesterday I grabbed a few hawthorns. Generally the ones I find are dead straight and taperless, but I managed to find a few with a bit of interest and some nice bark.

A little early to dig them.. good luck..they hate sitting dormant during winter... best time I have found is just at bud break when they are getting active.